November College Recruiting Newsletter 2023

Welcome to the Kings Hammer November College Recruiting Newsletter! The club is excited to work with you to accomplish all of your player’s goals for this upcoming soccer year, on and off of the soccer field. Each month, we will be providing this resource to help you navigate the craziness that is the college recruiting process. We hope you find value in this newsletter and we are excited to assist in this exciting process for your family!

This month’s College Recruiting Newsletter is focused on committing to a school as a student athlete.

Final Steps & The Commitment

If you’ve been following along with the College Recruiting Newsletter, you’ve been equipped with plenty of information that should be beneficial to you as you are going through your college search process. From start to finish in the process, these are the topics that have been covered thus far:

Creating a list of schools
Creating a highlight video
Contacting college coaches
Identifying ID Camps to attend
Taking college visits
Narrowing your list
Understanding Financial Aid Opportunities

Once you have done all of these things, you may be close to (drumroll please) … making a commitment!

If and when you get to this point, congratulations! Committing to a school as a student athlete is a once in a lifetime achievement, so enjoy every second of it. That said, if you have gone through all the steps and are still unsure of which school seems “right,” don’t force it or sweat it. Chances are, if a place doesn’t feel like home, it isn’t meant to be home. And lastly, if you are still early in your process (or a freshman or sophomore in HS), you will certainly need to be patient.

However, for those of you who are ready to make a commitment, there is a proper way to go about it. Notifying the school you’ve selected, as well as notifying those who aren’t so lucky to coach you for the next four years, is very important. Below we will outline how to go about this.

Notifying your new school

Congratulations! You’ve selected your new school and home for the next four years and now you’d like to let the coach and university know. This will be an exciting time for you, and chances are the coach will be overjoyed to hear the good news as well! It is important to note, that you should notify the school you are choosing BEFORE notifying the schools you are not choosing. It is better if the coach hears the news from you directly, and this will give you a chance to confirm everything on the school ’s end as well to make sure you are making the right decision. When calling the coach, be excited (you will be)! Let them know that you are committed to them, their program, and the university and you are ready to do what you can to be the best person and player you can be. After giving a verbal commitment, the coach will give you more information on ensuring that you are able to get everything sorted prior to stepping on campus. Now, onto those schools who aren’t so lucky…

Notifying the other schools

Just as it’s important to notify the school you are committing to; it is also important to let other programs and coaches know the not so good news. After all, they have spent time getting to know you, recruiting you, and doing their best to build a relationship with you. Open and honest communication is vital to maintaining a positive brand and image, and just as coaches should be open with players who they aren’t interested in, players should be courteous to let those know who they aren’t interested in personally. Giving coaches a call and thanking them for everything they’ve done but letting them know that you are going to be attending another school will go a long way. While the news may disappoint the coach, they will respect you for being honest.

Committing to a school will be a special moment for each and every one of you who decide to pursue a collegiate soccer career. After years of hard work, dedication, and time, it is important to be proud of yourself in this moment, but also recognize that your hard work is just beginning! Enjoy this special day when it comes but be ready to continue to grow into becoming the best player you can be and leave a legacy at the program you are going to.

Personal Development: Managing Stress

There’s no avoiding the stress of everyday life. Schoolwork, responsibilities at home, busy schedules, other people’s expectations, disappointments, deadlines, social drama: all of these can create tension. Everyday stressors have a way of piling up if we don’t keep them in check. Adding these 5 simple actions to your regular routine can help you avoid that “bogged down by stress” feeling. The key word is “routine.” You need to make sure you keep doing these to enjoy the benefits:

1. Balance responsibilities

Balance responsibilities (like schoolwork) with activities you enjoy (like relaxing or spending time with friends). It’s all about balance: all work and no play is bad. But if your schedule is so crammed with activities that there’s no time for homework, that’ll stress you out too.

2. Manage responsibilities

Use a calendar or planning app to keep track of assignments, chores, practices, and other obligations. Of course, planning is no good if you don’t actually do what you plan: Managing stress also means regular studying, keeping on top of assignments, and overcoming procrastination. Take time to reflect a bit every day and think about how things are going. What do you need to work on? Do? Make time for?

3. Eat healthy foods

What you eat affects your mood, energy, and stress level. Eating healthy doesn’t mean avoiding all treats — it goes back to that balance thing again. It’s OK to treat yourself to ice cream occasionally if you ate a salad or turkey on whole wheat for lunch. But if ice cream and sweets are your main source of fuel, you’re likely to crash or feel cranky — and stressed!

4. Get proper sleep

This may seem like a no-brainer. After all, who doesn’t love to sleep? But getting the right amount ofsleep1 is actually something we need to focus on because it’s easy to let homework, talking to friends, or binge watching get in the way of sleep — no matter how much we want to catch those ZZZs.

5. Make time to exercise every day

It’s hard to feel anxious when you’re taking deep breaths on a run, feeling the rush of a downhill bike ride, or playing a pickup game with friends. Exercise doesn’t just take our mind off of stress; it releases chemicals in our brains that make us feel better. Learning to manage stress means building coping skills that allow you to take everyday challenges in stride. It’s about keeping problems in perspective instead of ignoring them and learning what to work on and what to let go of.

Additional Stress Management Resources

Monthly Help Links from Sports Recruits

College Commitments

Trinity Bauwens – Spaulding University
Kate Makkas – Youngstown State University
Caroline Tucker – Mars Hill University
Ava Hess – University of Southern Indiana
Lauren Flax – Liberty University
Kaitlyn Lampe – Mt St Joseph University
Riley Tarvin – Stetson University
Avery Riggs – Bryan College
Landon Barth – Northern Kentucky University
Riley Rolfert – Thomas More University
Rylie Niemeyer – Western Carolina University
Lauren Link – Eastern Kentucky University
Claire Cress – Morehead State University
Piper Farris – East Carolina University
McKenzie Carle – Bellarmine University
Sarah Deaton – Wittenburg University
Maggie Molnar – Taylor University
Maria Dilts – Johns Hopkins University
Ivy Hoffman – Thomas More University
Maddy Ehrhardt – Wilmington College
Anna Taylor – Cedarville University
Claire Cavacini – Centre College
Ella Mann – Centre College

Remember to post your commitment to your Sports Recruits account and send commitment photos to info@kingshammer.com so that you can be recognized for your achievements.